forever won't be long enough
by youweremybestfriend
Summary: series of stefan/Caroline drabbles based on ideas I've had for a while or prompts given to me on tumblr...fluff and smut and just sad stuff too. (T for language.) WARNING: not all of them have a happy ending.)
1. Chapter 1

It's just sex.

She has to remind herself that every time she hears his footsteps followed by a gentle knock on the door. She has to remind herself that even though he has the greenest eyes she's ever seen and hands so soft she wants him to touch her all night, it's just sex. It's strange that she's the one reminding herself, seeing as how all of this was her idea in the first place.

She knew what she was signing up for. He'd told her from the very start that he had a girlfriend and he wasn't looking for that to change, he just needed something new. All she did was nod like a sixteen year old girl. In all honesty, she didn't even remember much of their first conversation anyway. She'd been to busy focusing on how perfectly fitted his white t-shirt was. Maybe that was the problem. There was always a problem when it came to him.

 _'No strings attached.'_ how could she have seriously believed herself when she said that? It wasn't supposed to last this long. One summer. 3 months. That's all it was ever supposed to be. That is until she awkwardly bumped into him on campus one day.

Before that, she'd only ever known him as the guy from the bar. The guy with the gorgeous green eyes and the perfect six pack. Seeing him that first time on campus she actually thought for just a second that maybe she might've actually felt something for him. She thought maybe that's why he was there, to tell her he couldn't forget the passion filled nights they'd shared in New York that summer, to tell her that he couldn't get her off his mind. She was just another college girl and he was just another disaster waiting to happen, but she let go talk her into let him talk her into his bed..again.

And so she was back at square one, convincing herself it was _just_ sex. She ignored the spark she felt each and every night, she ignored the feeling of security that encaptured her whenever they would lie together in bed before he'd leave, she'd shut out all and any emotions to this magical creature because she didn't want to feel..not when it came to him.

Maybe she should've backed out then, saved them all the heartbreak but she wonders if that is even true. Would walking out then would've stopped it from happening? Would it've stopped her from falling in love? Or was she already in too deep? But it really doesn't matter in her mind, because she stayed. She stayed and fell in love and fell apart.

Things started off casual. Once or twice a week they'd seek each other out and spend all night touching each other. Eventually,though, the odd nights here and there morphed into weeks, and those into months and before she knew it she'd fallen so deep she couldn't even see land anymore.

They were all over each other. They could barely go one night without each other and if they did, the next night they'd be so desperate that they'd even skip the small talk. He'd become her addiction. She craved him night and day and being away from him physically pained her. What hurt even more was seeing him on campus with his _girl_.

She hated when he called her that. No one deserved to be called that other than herself. She wished she could hate her,*Elena*. She was the perfect girl. Brown hair,doe eyes, popular, she'd be a great wife someday...and in spite of the circumstances, those were all the reasons why couldn't hate her. Even though she felt like she couldn't breathe whenever she saw her, she couldn't hate her. If anything, she thought Elena deserved someone better. Not because he wasn't a great guy, because he _was_ the perfect guy. But because she didn't deserve to be cheated on. Especially not by someone as naive and worthless as herself. Elena deserved better. She told him that. He told her not to about he kissed her, and she let him.

So maybe it's all her fault. In the end, she's the one who opened that door and let him in. She's the one who reached for his belt and started to unbuckle it. She's the one who let him have his way with her and then walk out. Over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. Does she even have any pieces of her heart left for him to take?

She wonders that one night when he shows up outside her house,drunk. He's banging on the door and she's trying to get some sleep. Still, it's Stefan and she could never say no to him. So she puts on her silk robe and makes her way downstairs through the darkness. It's 3am and he's drunk as shit but he still looks better than any guy she's ever seen. He's ruined her completely for all men, they'll never live up to her expectations anymore.

His voice is weak,his eyes are bloodshot, and every bone in her body is telling her not to believe him when he says it. This isn't Stefan, he's wasted, he's drunk, he doesn't mean it...but it makes her heart skip a beat and her lips find his fast and soon enough they're doing the dance they know all too well. The question eats at her mind all night until the first rays of sun fall on his face. It's the first time he's ever stayed all night but she doesn't know if it's because he was too wasted to leave or because he actually wanted to stay. When he opens his eyes she asks him and he says it again. Over, and over, and over, and over.

'I _love_ you.'

Soon enough it's all he says. Like a prayer he needs in order to survive. She's his Achilles heal, and he's hers. Elena's gone. He doesn't give her the details but she knows it didn't end well. She doesn't mind, because he's hers now. Completely. She holds his hand when they walk in the street and he whispers things into her ear that make her wonder if she even deserves a guy like him. He tells her she does. She's starting to believe him.

He's sitting on one knee, one morning when she wakes up. It's been a year since he told her. The ring is beautiful. It's a silver band with a small diamond. It's exactly what she wanted. He knows that. She asks if he's sure and he replies with a kiss. She tells him it's his last chance to run for the hills and he promises to stay. At night when he goes to sleep she plays with the ring on her finger and watches him sleep. It's not creepy. It's something she didn't get to do before, and she revels in it.

The wedding is beautiful. Her dress is stunning and her flowers are pink. She's got something borrowed, something blue, something old, and something new. He smiles at what a cliché it is. She tells him she doesn't care. He almost has a heart attack when she walks in, veil over her face and bridesmaids in tow. They're throwing flower petals in her wake. Daisies, because thats what he bought her on their first date. He says his vows and they're so perfect that she starts panicking about her own. What if they don't make him feel the way I'm feeling? She takes a deep breath, her eyes never leaving his and she whispers her promises.

 _I do_

 _I do_

They're the smallest of words and yet they've done what they needed to do. They've changed everything.

That all sounds perfect. Too bad it's not. Because it's just sex. And so she keeps telling herself. Convincing herself, that it's just platonic because the alternative is too frightening. So she's here, again. With bloodshot eyes and ruffled hair, knocking on the same door she knows better than the back of her hand. Ready to do the dance that they've mastered.. Ready to pretend. Because if they don't pretend, then what?


	2. Chapter 2

**_Waiting_** **_For_** **_You_**

 _Prompt: 'Were you planning on kissing me?'_

He's here again. He promised he wouldn't come. He swore he'd stay away. She wanted time, she wanted space, and he'd had full intentions on giving her just that. He said he'd wait. It was a decision he'd assumed was right at the time but it was killing him. Each moment he spent away from her was killing him. Not that it made any difference if he was with her, he felt the same.

She's doing that thing again. That thing where she pretends she doesn't notice him staring at her. She's gotten so used to ignoring it, he has too. The music is blaring and everyone is on the dance floor. Everyone except the two of them. He'd told Damon that he didn't want to come, but all the older Salvatore had to do was say that Caroline was going to be there and he changed his mind before he could blink.

She was standing alone on the other side of the bar, downing drink after drink. He was doing the same, but not as vigorously. He stood there for almost an hour, just watching her like some sort of lovesick puppy. (He was one.) He couldn't stop staring. Like opposite poles of a magnet, he was drawn to her and he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She wasn't helping much by wearing a skirt so short that it barely covered anything. Her blonde curls were cascading down her shoulders and onto her pink tank top.

She was around her 6th shot when she saw a guy coming towards her. He seemed like a shitty frat boy who only wanted one thing from her. "Someone's looking smokin'!" Was all that left his lips before he raised his hand to touch her arm. She raised her own, and it collided with his face. The sound was so loud it attracted the attention of a certain Salvatore she had been trying to avoid all night. "Bitch." The boy sassed before putting a hand to his face and walking away.

He couldn't hold back the laugh that escaped his lips. She started rounding the corner, each step closer hitched his breath further into his throat. "Is this funny?" She asks, shoving him playfully.

"Of course not." He lies, too concentrated on her lips to even pay attention to anything she was saying. She laughs because she knows he's lying. He smiles because she knows. It's this weird dance they've been doing. Tip-toeing in circles for 153 days, waiting for the other to crack. (153 days!)He's doing most of the waiting. But they've gotten so used to dancing this dance, that it's the most natural thing in the world now.

Her eyes are darting between his lips and his eyes. He sees it. He pretends he doesn't. The air is getting thicker. They're saved by a tall brunette who walks over to Stefan, her chest half out of her shirt and flirtatiously places a finger on his chest. "Dance with me." She says, grabbing his hand and pulling him onto the dance floor before he can answer her.

Somehow her eyes find him in the sea of college students...they always do. The girls arms are around his neck and he seems to be, reluctantly, enjoying himself. She laughs when she realizes that doesn't even make sense. She's seeing green. It's not fair, she can't make him wait forever. That doesn't stop it from hurting like hell. "Another one." She tells the bartender.

The song ends and he's next to her again before the brunette can even think of asking him for another dance. "Why are you all alone?" He asks flirtatiously. He's treading dangerous waters but they're both drunk enough.

"Why are you?" She retorts, pretending to not notice the tone he's using, because she can't do that. Not tonight.

"Can't a guy just get a drink with a pretty girl?" He laughs and she's fighting the urge to place her lips on his right there.

"Stefan-" she warns him.

"Caroline.." He's mocking her. No ones laughing.

"Not tonight." She whispers but he stays silent and still. It's infuriating. "I can't do this tonight,Stefan. Let's just have some fun."

"Okay."

"Okay? What do you mean okay? Just, okay?"

"Caroline." He laughs. "Just shut up and dance with me."

It's harsh. She gasps because it shocks her, but she bounces back quickly because he knows her, and she needs harsh right now.

"Fine." She smiles, taking his hand as he lead her to the dance floor.

It's their sixth song. The music is blaring and their bodies are moving. She's so close he can feel her breathing. Her hair smells like vanilla, and it's intoxicating. He closes his eyes to heighten his sense as he memorizes this moment. Her throat is dry when she speaks. "We can stop if you want."

She doesn't want to. She wants this moment to never end. Like her favorite song playing a loop. "I don't." He whispers.

Their eyes meet as he reassures her and she feels butterflies in her stomach and a chill go through her veins. His eyes fall to his feet and she quickly looks away, but they don't stop dancing. Not until they're the last people there and they're dancing to the sound of their own broken heartbeats.

"Can I ask you something?" She whispers, finally pulls away. He feels empty now. He nods. "Were you ever planning on kissing me tonight?"

He smiled and places a hand on her cheek. "Of course I was." He whispers.

"Why didn't you?"

"I didn't know you wanted me to." He says. "I said I'd wait, and if you're ever ready, then I'll kiss you."

"When." She assures him but he's still confused.

"When what?" He asks.

She laughs, it's a gentle laugh. One that makes his insides flip and puts a smile on his face. "When I'm ready.. Not if."

He's smiling again. That big goofy smile that makes her die a million times inside. "When you're ready." He whispers, kissing her cheek and goosebumps appear on her skin at the touch.

"I will be." She says. "Not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday I will be ready."

"I'll be here waiting for you."


End file.
